Otokar and Leonardo have completed the integration of the HITFACT Mk-II 120/45 mm turret on the TULPAR tracked vehicle and demonstrated its accuracy in a series of live-fire tests at the Nettuno range (Ufficio Tecnico Territoriale Armamenti Terrestri, UTTAT) in Italy.

Engineering teams from both companies carried out a comprehensive integration program covering mechanical, electrical, electronic, and software interfaces between the hull and the turret. Functional checks, safety inspections, and system validation confirmed performance, reliability, and interoperability of the hull-turret combination.

Following completion of the integration phase, the vehicle underwent live-fire trials with both static and on-the-move engagements. The weapon system, fire-control system, stabilization system, and overall platform functionality met all planned objectives.

On September 23, a delegation from the Brazilian Army — led by the Deputy Chief of the Army Staff, Major General Eduardo Tavares Martins — attended a dedicated firing demonstration at the same range. 12 rounds of DM-88 ammunition were fired against a stationary target at approximately 1,300 m: 6 from a static position and 6 with the TULPAR on the move. The HITFACT Mk-II turret and its 120/45 mm gun, together with the associated servo systems, stabilization, and sighting equipment, achieved a hit probability of 99% in the static engagement and 95% on the move.

The DM-88, manufactured by Rheinmetall, is a TPCSDS-T (Target Practice, Cone Stabilized, Discarding Sabot, with Tracer) training round that replicates the external ballistics of the APFSDS (Armor Piercing, Fin Stabilized, Discarding Sabot) kinetic-energy penetrator at short-to-medium ranges. Beyond a certain distance the training round loses energy and effectiveness, hence its use at range-compatible distances for safety reasons.

The TULPAR is a tracked infantry vehicle built by Turkey's Otokar, with a combat weight between 28 and 45 t depending on configuration, and serves as the basis for a family of platforms. Fitted with the Leonardo HITFACT Mk-II 120/45 mm turret — which is also designed to mount a 105/52 mm gun — the vehicle becomes a medium tank. The HITFACT Mk-II is currently the only proven and qualified turret solution capable of firing a 120 mm gun ballistically equivalent to those fitted on Western main battle tanks.

The TULPAR–HITFACT 120 combination is a candidate in Brazil's program to replace the LEOPARD 1A5 BR main battle tanks currently in service. The vehicle is considered one of the frontrunners within the Programa Estratégico Forcas Blindadas (Prg EE F Bld), the Brazilian Army's acquisition project for a new tracked-vehicle family. A key advantage of this solution is turret commonality with the CENTAURO II 8×8 armored vehicle, which Brazil has already ordered under a 98-vehicle program equipped with the same HITFACT Mk-II turret. Other countries have also expressed interest in the TULPAR–HITFACT 120 pairing.

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